Andlat
by Defaultwreck
Summary: Continues where the third book in the Inheritance cycle ends. What will happen in Alagaesia now? Will Eragon and Saphira defeat the king, or will he put an end to them? Perhaps other forces are involved as well? Read on and find out.
1. Prologue

**Hello, this is my first fan fiction ever, so I really want to hear what you think. **

**I think this chapter might be a little "heavy", I was trying to give you a taste of the plot, but I might have overdone it, and maaaybe the sentences are a bit long. But stick with me, and tell me what to improve ( I want to hear it if something is good too, of course :) ).**

**My grammar might not be the best, I'm actually from Norway, but I'm doing my best.**

**I'm relying on reviews; if I don't get feedback I will of course not continue this story :)**

**Anyway, enjoy, here is my first chapter.**

_Eragon was walking through Ellesmera with light footsteps, he felt happy, like everything was perfect. He drew his left hand through a low tree, feeling the life force it held, it made him happy to see the berries that hung under the lowest branches. As he went deeper into the forest, he found himself following a familiar path, the thin track that lead to the crags of Tel'Naeir, as he walked towards the edge, a strange mist gathered around his ankles, it felt like silk to his skin, but when he walked forward, it held him firmly in place. Suddenly afraid, he called for Saphira with his mind, just to notice he could not feel her presence, as panic gripped him, he tried to use magic to free himself, but he could not remember the ancient words that could save him, the mist crawled up his body, tightening around his neck like a noose… "Adurna brakka" a familiar voice said behind him, and the mist slowly let go of him. Turning, Eragon saw that it was Oromis, standing proud and strong about six feet from him. "You must wake up, Eragon" he said, with a sense of urgency "You cannot stay here, it is not safe for you" "Where am I?" Eragon asked, with a confused tone in his voice, the environment had suddenly changed, now they were standing on the top of Helgrind. "There isn't time, you have to get out of here!" Oromis almost shouted, his voice was getting weaker, as if they were on either side of a brick wall, "I cannot hold on much longer, go! Go before it is too late!" Suddenly Oromis started to fade away, as if Eragon was seeing him through water, at the same time, something was pulling at Eragon, he fought back, pulling his mind free of the icy lances that were digging into it, struggling to wake up. The last thing he saw, was a dark gap opening behind Oromis, pulling him in, like he was a leaf before an autumn storm, a soundless howl tore from Eragon's lips…_

Eragon bolted upright, pulling his hunting knife from under his pillow, something was wrong, he could feel it in the air. _Magic,_ he thought with a grim expression. Searching for the source of the disturbance, Saphira's mind thouched him, they silently exchanged thoughts and feelings, Eragon could sense Saphira's discomfort at the unpleasant buzz of magic. Throwing off his blankets, Eragon quietly jumped out of bed, searching through the camp for the source, he could feel it coming from somewhere nearby, but he could not detect the exact target, nor what it did, it was as if a stream of magic was being funneled out of nothingness, and it didn't seem to have any purpose.

In another tent, Arya awoke as well, she could feel the minds of the Varden all around her, but none of them seemed as if they were reacting to the threads of magic that went through the camp. She awoke the rest of the elves with a gentle brush against their consciousnesses, they acknowledged her, and silently they exited the tent together.

Eragon went out of his tent, quietly he and Saphira walked towards the source of the energy, Eragon were tensed, he jumped at every motion in the darkness, almost beheading a cat that brushed against his foot. As they came closer, they could see a weak green light shining from the ground, and it was as if something were trying to get up. The elves silently spread around the spot, each ready to fight, if this oddity were to prove dangerous, Bloodgahrms fur were on ends, his entire body shaking slightly. Arya contacted Eragon, _Keep a safe distance, this is not a coincidence, it may be a trap. _Eragon agreed, he did not know what this was, but had no intentions of sticking his nose closer then absolutely necessary. _Caution, that is not your usual _said Saphira in a taunting voice _I know, but this is not an everyday event either _he replied.

As they closed in on the light, it started humming, a low rumble resounding through the ground, it sounded like the muffled growl of a dragon, everyone in the ring stiffened, straining their ears and searching the ground for the magic, and then suddenly, a deafening roar sounded in their minds, knocking down all defenses, and racing through their minds at an prodigious rate, a few seconds later, the presence vanished, and the light subsided into darkness. Everyone in the circle collapsed, Saphira landed on one of the cooking tents, breaking everything in it and making a terrible noise, suddenly the entire camp echoed shouts and the sound of people running towards them. A deep, rumbling voice appeared in Eragon and Saphira's minds, one word resounded like a rockslide, _Inòya._

Arya and Eragon stood side by side before Nasuada in the keep while they recounted the night's adventures, Saphira kept to herself for the most part, confusion emanating from her through their mental link. _Whatever that was, it knows every detail of our life, the Varden, the elves, and was able to breach our defenses like they weren't there _Saphira commented when Eragon completed the report. To Eragon she said, with sorrow in her voice, _I wish Oromis and Glaedr were here, perhaps they could tell us what this was, and what it was looking for, and how we should react to this incident, I miss them. Yes _Eragon replied_ I miss them too, but we have to be our own teachers from now on, we do not know when Glaedr will wake from his sorrow, if ever, and even he cannot help us forever, some day we will have to answer to ourselves, and it might as well be today._"You are sure this was not some kind of trick on Galbatorix's part?" Nasuada asked, obviously shaken by these disturbing news. Lately the Varden had had too many problems and late minute rescues, and Nasuada's face bore marks of it, she was paler than usual, and her eyes seemed to be made of lead, blue rings encircling them. "Yes, it felt as if this presence was neither foe nor friend, it didn't react in any special way to any of my memories, it just searched them, like a trader checking that all the goods are in place" Eragon said, his voice was trembling a little. Arya nodded, she seemed much more upset about this then Eragon, somehow he was convinced that this was not something that could compromise any of the things they had been working for, it was as if the presence that had searched their minds was just watching them, Arya however did not seem to agree with him on that, but then again, she probably felt a much greater responsibility then he did toward the elves, since she was both an carrier of the Yawe symbol, and a princess. "If it was Galbatorix, he would most probably have used the information to figure out mine and Saphiras true names, making us his slaves, and we would have been enslaved rather quickly I would assume. Also, this magic felt like nothing I have ever experienced before, it was not aimed at anything, it was just flowing around us, like it was a part of the land, I do not think any of the races we know of created this, it felt like this being was made of pure magic, or energy, use what definition you want, it did not feel like it was made of flesh and bone." Nasuada leaned back, closing her eyes, "I will have to discuss this matter with Orin, furthermore, we have to inform the dwarves and the elves of what has transpired, they will want to know, and we need to know if they too had a visit from this creature. Very well, you are dismissed."

When they walked out of the throne room, Eragon sagged slightly, reaching to the wall for support, "What is wrong?" Arya asked, a tone of worry in her voice. "Nothing, I just had a really bad night" he told her, it was actually mostly true, so he could say it without lying, she caught the spark of emotion in his voice however, and with a meaningful glance at Saphira, she touched his mind. _I can tell when you're not telling me the whole truth Eragon, now tell me, what is bothering you? _Eragon was taken aback; Arya was usually not so straight forward, the only time she had asked him so directly, was when she gave him a rebuke for giving in to the council of elders after the fight in Farthen Dûr. _I had a dream about Oromis before this "main event" started, except it didn't feel like it was a dream, it was like the visions I used to have about you when you were imprisoned, only it felt like I was really there, not just a ghost hovering over the situation. _Then he told her about his dream, trying to explain what it had felt like, it was strange for Eragon to talk to her in this way, she was usually very reserved when it came to talking with her mind, usually it was only when she felt it was needed, and she kept the contact as short as possible, but now she commented on his dream, attempting to soothe his discomfort. When he was done with his tale, she looked at him for a long while before she said anything, and when she spoke again, the words were hesitant, _I want to show you a memory, it is easier for you to understand then. _Suddenly images flooded his mind, _Arya sat beside a gray haired man with blue sparkling eyes who lay on a bed, they were obviously in a heated discussion, "It could have killed you father, you could have died!" Arya whispered, showing more emotions than Eragon had ever seen her do, he understood that this was her father, Evandar, "Yes, it could, but this is too important to neglect, I need you to speak to Veren and Reil for me, this could very well prove us all wrong, perhaps there does exist another world after this one, perhaps what happened last night was an insight into that void. I have studied some of the obscure scrolls of Flúai, and I found a hint that he experienced the same, I suspect that it was this experience that drove him to madness, if he left some part of himself in that other world or just went mad as a result of the shocking nature of this revelation, I know not." Arya's expression grew pale, "Those manuscripts are written by a madman, an outcast, he probably had a wild imagination, you are just trying to make the pieces fit together, do not pursue this, for my sake." Evandar examined her for a long time before he spoke again, and when he did, his voice was weaker than before "Please, go to Veren and Reil, consult with them, I need to know if they have any information on this topic"_

The memory faded, and they were once again back in the hallway, Arya had tears in her eyes, Eragon saw she had been crying for a while, he took her hand lightly, _I am sorry_ was the only thing he managed to say, Arya resumed talking _My father always respected my wishes, even if they went against his beliefs, he loved me for who I was, my mother… _She hesitated, breathing deeply, _my mother has a completely different personality, her wishes leave little room for others to be themselves. _Restraining her feelings, Arya straightened; _Veren and Reil was an ancient pair, their wisdom and experience far exceeded that of any other person at that time, when her rider died, Veren flew as far up into the sky as she could get, and then she folded her wings, never to open them again, unfortunately, that was the same day that my father requested me to consult with them. I was the one that found her; she had landed right in front of Reil's house, resting beside her rider. Flúai was an elf, with a brilliant mind, he discovered many lost words in the ancient language, but he had one flaw, he believed that there existed a world beyond this one, not with gods and people being judged by how they act in this world, prayers and sacrifice, but simply another realm, where we would return to our "original form" as he put it. He believed we are made from energy, and that when we die that energy is restored in its pure form in the spirit realm. He went mad eventually, my father read his scrolls, and noticed a small part, right before his work became all madness, nonsense about how the Beor mountains were really giants, and that some day they would destroy this world, where he had a dream, similar to yours. Except he didn't mention anything about a "guide", my father also had such a dream, but in his dream, Veyoloth, another ancient dragonrider was there and helped him. My father tried to reach back into that dream, using magic to do so, it almost killed him, he was so close to dying that he had to stay in bed for a week afterwards. I do not know how to put this, but I am starting to wonder if my father was right, perhaps our existence here is not the only part of our lives, your dream is the third of that kind, and this is indeed something worth noticing. But let us put this at the back of our minds, we need to figure out what was going on tonight right now, let us go._

Saphira contacted Eragon as they entered the light from the bright morning sun, _Why did you not tell me about this dream before? _A hint of hurt in her voice, Eragon did not reply at once, he was confused, Arya talking to him in such an intimate way, showing her memories to him, and even changing her beliefs because he had a dream? And this strange magic that seemed to have left no traces _I was so occupied with everything, when I woke up I had enough to think about for a while, and then the report to Nasuada, I didn't really have time to concider it until we were out of the throne room. _She accepted his explanation, but he felt she was unsatisfied with it. _I'm confused _he thought privately, looking up at the sky with an exasperated expression.

**So, that's it for now, I hope you liked it, I really like the Inheritance cycle and enjoyed writing about this. C'mon, give me something to improve the next chapter with, do you miss something? Tell me, and I'll see what I can do :))**


	2. Stenr

**Stenr**

Eragon walked up beside Arya, and phrasing his words carefully, asked "Arya, about what you said earlier, I've been thinking, and it seems too much of a coincidence that my dream should occur the same night as the attack. If we could figure out what that being was, then perhaps I can decipher my dream." Arya looked at him, her face were twisted with concern as she said "Please Eragon, do not pursue this quest, those dreams never lead to something good, promise me you will not continue looking into it, wiol pömnuria ilian." Eragon were dumbfounded, those were the exact same words he had told her before the battle of Farthen Dûr, and it caught him off guard. As such, he only managed to say "Nen ono weohnata, Arya Dröttningu." As you will, Princess Arya.

They walked on, discussing the magic that had assaulted them. "Why were you so afraid of it, I know it held a terrible power, but my gut tells me it will not harm us, and nothing has happened so far, do you not think it would have used our true names to bind us if it meant us harm?" Arya took her time before she answered, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings, "I have been using magic for almost a hundred years, Eragon, and as such I can feel more than just who it is I am being touched by, my instincts tell me to trust this being, while my reason tells me to shy away. What was so strange about this is that it felt like an eldunari. I cannot be sure, since I have only touched one other, namely Glaedr's, but if I am right… how many places does eldunari's exist? Two places that we know of, Galbatorix' has his share, and you have Glaedr's, so my reason tells me to be careful."

As they reached the forest, Arya stopped and leaned on a tree, Eragon placed himself opposite her. As he looked into her eyes, and saw the pain and troubles in them, his old feelings for her attacked him with full vigor, and he longed to hold her and ease her discomfort, his heart ached as he knew it was never to be, his heart was broken even before it could have a chance at love. He moved a little closer, smelling her aroma, suddenly Saphira was in his mind_ Little one, remember the last time, do not put yourself in more agony._ Of course, Saphira was always privy to his every feeling and thought, it was like they were two halves of the same brain, she was reason and courage, he was impulsive and rash, and together they completed each other. As Eragon reluctantly moved back and leaned on a birch about five feet from Arya, he thought he glimpsed something in her eyes, disappointment, but then it was gone, and he wondered if it had ever been there. They kept on discussing matters concerning the Varden and the elves, and whether the Urgals would ever be able to change their culture, and came in on the matter of Oromis and Glaedr, Saphira had also joined the conversation.

"I wish they were here" Eragon said, "I wish this war could be over, and we could start rebuilding Alagaesia from the ground, giving people hope, a home and the promise of a life without fear." Arya gave him a slight smile, "We want many things, but few of them will ever come to pass, it will probably take a while to get Alagaesia back on its feet after this war ends, and first we have to win" _Oh we will win _Saphira said_ Of that I have no doubt_.

Eragon woke with a scream in the dim light right before sunset, his entire body was covered with sweat and his sheets were drenched. Once again he had dreamt of dying men and bloody battles, _When will this end? _he thought, shivering as a gust of wind brushed against his moist skin. Using the meditation techniques Oromis had taught him, he calmed his racing heart before getting out of bed to perform his morning ritual.

As he got dressed, he contacted Saphira and told her to meet him by the wall, she sensed his uneasiness and eased him with calming mental pictures, saying _You have endured a lot, little one, do not let the monsters of the night haunt your day. _As she could feel his pain, so could he feel her sorrow, she had endured the same pain he had as their teachers passed away, they sought to rid themselves of the pain by sharing in it, consoling each other in the others mind.

Eragon quickly got dressed in one of his elven tunics, and with a swift motion he swept the tent open and set into a sprint towards Feinster's outer wall, telling Bloodgahrm that he would go flying with Saphira as he ran. The Varden were stirring to life after the night, and all the way though the encampment he could see men and women rubbing the sleep from their eyes and starting their daily routines, some were casually talking to their wives or husbands, yet other were making fires or eating their breakfast. Similar for most of them were the companionship they shared, and it triggered a sudden pang of loneliness within Eragon, and an ache formed in his chest as he thought of Arya. _Get yourself together _he told himself harshly, _Feeling sorry for yourself never made anyone achieve anything, let alone happiness._

He reached Saphira as the sun peeked over the horizon, bathing her magnificent figure in the dim light of dawn. She truly looked like a jewel as her scales reflected the sun's rays like a sparkling firework of light. In that exact moment, Eragon ignored everything else, and a feeling of joy actually spread in his body and mind, enveloping his being in the present. He climbed straight up her front leg, not stopping to catch his breath, and even as he settled into the saddle and strapped the leather bands to hold his feet, Saphira stretched her wings and kicked off.

As they circled over Feinster, their troubles seemed a little more distant, everything could be viewed from a different perspective when the air were all that surrounded them, up here the trivialities of civilization did not matter. Reaching out to Glaedr's eldunari, Eragon sent him a few mental pictures that he hoped would make the old dragon understand that they understood and accepted his sorrow and grief, together with his condolences to his teacher. _I wonder what I would have been like if you had passed away _He said to Saphira, _I would probably have been in a worse condition than Glaedr, he and Oromis had decades to make peace with the fact that one of them would eventually die. _Saphira took her time talking to Glaedr before she answered, the golden orb pulsed a little in response. _I do not think that you can ever protect yourself from such a shock, it would be like trying to stop an avalanche with your bare hands, no matter how long they knew, losing half of your being could drive most any person mad _She said with a sorrowful tone. _Yes, I know, but I hope none of us will ever have to go through that experience; it is too depriving to think about._

They circled a little longer before they started their descent, talking about everything from Arya, the mysterious light that had appeared the other night, and of course their late teachers, it gave them both a sense of relief to have someone to share everything with, no boundaries or polite gestures, just the simple act of sharing and listening. But all too soon they had to return, and descending in large circles, they were soon right above the city. Men from both the Varden and Feinster were busy repairing the damaged houses; those who had lost their homes had been accommodated with friends or family, or had been given a tent so that they would not have to live on the street while their homes were reconstructed.

As they landed, Eragon all of a sudden felt a strange presence in his mind, like a rock sliding over his skin, rough and groping. He was caught off guard, the walls he had around his mind did nothing, he was not thinking of anything, yet there were something, or someone inside his head. He panicked, he could not fight it, because he could not get a grasp of where this touch came from, nor what was happening. Then all of a sudden he felt it slip out, and again he heard the deep rumbling voice he heard the night the strange being under the camp assaulted them, _Inòya._ A shiver went down Eragon's spine as his fear subsided, under him he felt Saphira shift, and a feeling of uneasiness ran through their mental link _I do not like this _she nearly hissed, as she was used to being on top, she were a lot more unnerved by these mental attacks then Eragon.

As Eragon untied the leather straps, he saw that Glaedr's eldunari were shimmering, not with the glowing intensity it had before Oromis died, but significantly stronger then the faint glimmer it had just five minutes ago. Suddenly nervous again, Eragon carefully touched the dragon with his mind, and to his astonishment saw pictures of the Hadarac desert flowing through the connection. It was Oromis and Glaedr gliding over the vast lands, exploring or travelling Eragon could not tell, but there were something about it that triggered a piece within him he could not recognize, and he found himself crying, tears running from his eyes for no apparent reason. He quickly dried his cheeks with a hand, and noticed that Saphira too had been watching the scenario, and he could feel a longing for the desert in her. He patted her lightly on the side, then got off and walked to his tent.

Eragon and Saphira had been contacted twice b a rough unexplainable presence, and both times it had left with one word, _Inòya. It seems like it is trying to tell us something, but I have never heard the word before, yet it rings in my ear like I know what it means _Saphira said, they had been discussing the matter all day, but had come to the same conclusion all the time, they needed to find out what the word meant. As such, Eragon had decided he would ask Arya, he had anyway wanted to visit her, and now he had a reason.

When Eragon arrived at Arya's tent, he hesitated a little before ringing the small bell that hung on a pole. Almost instantly Arya arrived in the opening, she was obviously on her way out already, because she made no move for Eragon to enter. They exchanged the usual greetings, and he followed her towards Nasuada's tent, on the way he explained the situation "Are you sure you did not just hear that word from one of the others that were present?" Arya asked, sounding a bit suspicious. "Yes, because I heard it earlier today as well, and it is not like I were confused, my mind was clear all the time" Eragon told her calmly, "Well, the word you asked about means "diamond" in the ancient language, so there is nothing special about it" _Diamond, _Eragon thought, and all of a sudden the pieces fell into place, an outlandish concept formed in his head, it could not be so simple, yet it all fitted. His eyes glowed, he almost kissed Arya there and then, "Thank you, I have to run, I will see you later" he said, bowing before he turned around and ran back through the camp.


	3. Commandments

**I'm sorry, this is not my favorite chapter, but I got this major writer's block in the middle of it, and then my grandma died, so I just wanted to wrap this one up and move on to the next :)**

**But since none of you really care, I suggest we proceed from my excuses to the chapter at hand. As I have no beta-readers, you may find some flaws in my grammar, poorly constructed sentences and other such terrible crimes, but please bear with me, I do the best I can with what I am given. **

**Giving you a taste of sand, here is chapter three:**

**Commandments**

Murtagh surveyed the dull landscape before he turned around to face Thorn. _What a desolate place_ he thought as he leaped up the dragon's foreleg and into the saddle. Galbatorix had sent them to the Hadarac desert, seemingly without any further plans for them, but then again, the old king never revealed much to them, he obviously enjoyed giving them instructions as they went, seeing Murtagh and Thorn make up their own theories.

Right now, Murtagh had a creeping suspicion that Galbatorix wanted them to attack the dwarven cities surrounding the Beor Mountains; the old rat would certainly see the torture in such a task. He had told Murtagh about the numerous raids from the forsworn, and knew how much Murtagh hated to mimic his father, he had already used it against him, killing the dwarf king was something his cursed father would have done without as much as blinking.

They flew through the desert in silence, it was strange, they were linked in the most intimate of ways, yet they did not understand each other, Murtagh feared that Galbatorix' corruption had somehow altered their beings, making them strangers before they had a chance to connect. He felt a stray thought from Thorn, the dragon had problems maneuvering without his tail, Murtagh felt such pity for his companion. His hatred for Galbatorix rose within him, to think that he had been swayed by the treacherous king so many times, to believe that in the end, something good would come out of all this suffering. Well, no more would he believe it when he was told of glorious cities, patrolled by dragons and riders, keeping the peace, no more would he believe that Galbatorix only wanted to restore peace and prosperity, he had been whipped and tortured too many times, he could still feel the throbbing from the lashes he had received after Eragon and Saphira beat them, the mental probe pushing its way into his private thoughts, exposing his feelings for the leader of Varden, Galbatorix laughing at him, conjuring up images of Nasuada's corpse, bloody and torn in Murtagh's mind.

He closed his eyes, silent tears ran through his closed eyelids, _Murtagh, do not think of it, I'm sure she is fine, he just used your fears against you to break us down._ Thorn said in a consoling voice. Murtagh straightened in his saddle, and wiping the tears off his face, sent a silent feeling of gratitude towards the red dragon. Now that they flew further into the desert, Murtagh recognized the trail he and Eragon had followed while fleeing from the Empire, he remembered the desperate fight to stay ahead, especially when they encountered the urgals. As Thorn flew over the trail with effortless movements, it seemed odd to Murtagh how they could have spent days and weeks traversing the distance.

Suddenly it felt as if a dagger drove into Murtagh's mind, and Thorn howled as if in mortal agony, Galbatorix' presence sifted through their memories of the last days before saying in a mocking tone _It might not be such a good idea for you to take upon the dwarves quite yet, son of Morzan, but surely you shall have the chance as soon as you are strong enough. _Murtagh ground his teeth, Galbatorix knew how to anger him, but he did not give the king the satisfaction of seeing him lose his temper, so he simply said_ Do you have new directions for us sir? _If Galbatorix noticed the strain in Murtagh's voice, he did not comment on it, but answered in the same monotonous tone _Yes I do, now that you are finally in the desert, we can proceed to the last part of this journey. You are going to the center of the desert, where a small mountain area is located… _

Then a rush of pictures came into Murtagh's mind, moving fast forward, he saw the desert blurring past him, then they encountered rocks that gradually became bigger, before the peak of a mountain, about 800 feet or so, appeared in front of him, several smaller rocks and peaks surrounding it. Now the pictures came slower and in more detail, he edged around the mountain, brushing the sand aside until it revealed the bedrock. Etched into the stone were intricate engravings that looked like a system of threads, like the roots of a tree they were going in seemingly random ways, making his head dizzy when he tried to follow a thread from one end to the other. As the sand was brushed away, more of the engravings were revealed, every thirty feet or so a new one appeared, and they were glowing with a slightly orange tone. As he followed the trail, Murtagh was lead into a passage where cliffs and loose rocks were looming over his head, threatening to fall and crush anyone who dared venture into its dark and deceiving depths. His journey then continued onward underground, a wide opening in the stone let him further down, where the walls were damp and nothing grew, on and on it went, through a network of tunnels built like a labyrinth, until he stood at the shore of an underground lake. There he cut his hand with a quick draw of his knife, and dripped the blood from his hand and into the water.

Murtagh gasped as the vision faded away, he had thought he would see what was at the end, after all, why would Galbatorix hide the last piece when they already knew the way there. Murtagh had to ask, _My master _he said, hating every time he had to use that word, but he had found that flattery was the best way to lure information out of the prehistoric scoundrel. _What is it that is at the end of this quest exactly, it would be nice to know what we are up against, so that we can prepare for it. _A harsh humorless laugh echoed in their minds, and Murtagh received a small mental rap as a gift for his stupidity, _Unfortunately for both of us, that place is hidden with such a clever spell that even my gifts cannot penetrate it, but if my suspicions are right, all the preparation in the world cannot help you. _And with those words, Galbatorix withdrew from their minds like a piece of wood was sliding across their bare skin.

Murtagh shook involuntary, _Really the words to boost one's confidence _he thought dryly, _A place that requires blood sacrifice and is hidden even from __**him**__, it makes my scales itch and my stomach churn _Thorn said in an agitated tone. Murtagh agreed with him, if it were not for Galbatorixes thrice blasted oaths, they would be winging their way as far away from the Hadarac as they could get, maybe even to the lands of old, at the other side of the great sea.

As they swept toward the mountains, Thorn thought he glimpsed a spot of blue low on the horizon, but when he blinked it disappeared, and he thought no more of it, just his eyes playing tricks on him after Galbatorix' rough treatment of him and Murtagh he concluded.

**That's it for now, my shortest chapter so far, just to move things on. My grandma's burial is this Friday, so I will probably not write anything before the next week, I hope you like the story so far, if you have any suggestions, demands or whatever, please do not hesitate to PM me.**


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